


Vices

by thevelvetroom



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Denial of Feelings, M/M, You're welcome lol, a lot of teasing, leopika - Freeform, machi plays the guitar yes this is gay fanservice, med student!leorio, pairo plays the drums, pakunoda plays bass because we needed that in our lives, singer!kurapika, they share a cig over a morning coffee, they're neighbors
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-17 07:55:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28845675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thevelvetroom/pseuds/thevelvetroom
Summary: Through the grates of the fire escape, Kurapika’s scarlet eyes locked in with brown ones. The owner of the said brown eyes was sitting on the fire escape, back against his window, one hand clutching a coffee mug, and the other a cigarette. In his lap sat what looked to be a textbook, an ashtray perched up on top of it. He had short, spiked hair and a stubble adorned his jaw.His attire, consisting of a plain t-shirt and grey knee-length shorts indicated that he just woke up. Kurapika would be inclined to believe that, if the man’s eye bags weren’t painfully obvious and if his eyelids weren’t sitting low on his eyes – a clear indication of lack of sleep. A confused look branded his face.‘Confused? Why does he look confuse- oh…’
Relationships: Kurapika/Leorio Paladiknight
Comments: 6
Kudos: 56





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> well this idea came to me in the shower and it didn't want to leave my head so i had to write it, even tho' there's probably a lot more fics like this lol  
> i initially intended for this to be a oneshot, but then i thought of making it a multichap fic so now i don't know what i should do lmao  
> regardless of that, i hope that you enjoy it!  
> (i did put it as multichap for now bc idk what to do but if i do decide for it to be a one time thing, i'll change it)

_’Why must it always be like this?’_ Kurapika thought, turning in his bed for what felt like the millionth time.

Another night spent drenched in sweat from the summer heat wave. When it first began, Kurapika was counting the days, hopeful that one day, he would feel the cool breeze tickle his skin as he drifted off into dream land. But now, as he is peeling himself from the sweaty pillow to check the time, he is sure that this misery is never-ending.

 _4:56 am._ Fucking splendid.

He plops back down onto his bed with a loud thud. He drapes his arm over his face, mentally cursing himself for thinking that getting a studio apartment was _a good idea_.

Pakunoda _had_ pointed out the lack of the air conditioning unit when she first saw the apartment, telling Kurapika that it will become unbearable to function when the summer heat warms up the apartment, but he brushed her off, telling her that he has a fan at his old place. _‘If it can heat up quickly, it can cool down quickly too!’_

That same fan was currently standing at the other side of the room, broken beyond repair from the constant use. He cursed Pakunoda for always being right.

Kurapika sighed, turning his pillow over and closing his eyes, praying that he could fall asleep for at least 15 minutes. He wasn’t asking for much.

Then he rolled over. Then he turned his pillow again. And again. And again.

 _For fuck’s sake._ _Fuck this._

Using the fact that he was lying on his stomach, Kurapika dangled his left arm off the bed, searching for something on the floor. If he wasn’t going to spend time sleeping, he should spend it doing something _actually_ useful.

A triumphant noise escaped his lips when he fished out his trusty notebook and pen. He quickly prompted himself up on his elbows, and started to turn the pages, catching glimpses of words, scribbles and sketches. Kurapika halted his movements when he landed on the work-in progress, a new song he was writing.

He popped the cap of the pen with his teeth and got to work.

Or, at least, he _wanted_ to get to work. The pen was hovering over the page, but Kurapika made no move to actually write anything down. His mind wasn’t functioning right. He decided to blame it on the continuous lack of sleep, and with that, he shut the notebook and tossed it on the right side of his bed.

 _‘What now?’_ Kurapika sighed, preparing to turn on the TV and add _bloodshot eyes_ to the infinite list of his problems.

He was in the process of searching for the remote when all of a sudden, like a light at the end of a tunnel, the faintest smell of coffee and cigarette smoke wafted in through his open window.

Kurapika got up without thinking, quickly picking up his discarded band tee off the floor and pulling it over his head. He then marched over to the window, limbs filled with newfound determination.

He swiftly grasped and pulled his window open further, impatience brimming inside of him. He leaned his upper body out of it, craning his neck downwards.

Through the grates of the fire escape, Kurapika’s scarlet eyes locked in with brown ones. The owner of the said brown eyes was sitting on the fire escape, back against his window, one hand clutching a coffee mug, and the other a cigarette. In his lap sat what looked to be a textbook, an ashtray perched up on top of it. He had short, spiked hair and a stubble adorned his jaw.

His attire, consisting of a plain t-shirt and grey knee-length shorts indicated that he just woke up. Kurapika would be inclined to believe that, if the man’s eye bags weren’t _painfully_ obvious and if his eyelids weren’t sitting low on his eyes – a clear indication of lack of sleep. A confused look branded his face.

 _‘Confused? Why does he look confuse- oh…’_ Kurapika quickly realized that, from the man’s perspective, he popped up out of nowhere and rudely interrupted his quiet morning.

He cursed himself for being so impulsive. He wasn't _thinking._ And now he has to potentially deal with avoiding his neighbor for the rest of his life.

"Um-" the man said, interrupting Kurapika's inner turmoil, "you, uh, want a cup? You look like you could use one."

_'Huh?! What the hell?'_

That certainly wasn't what he was expecting.

Kurapika always had the invisible label _'introvert'_ plastered on his forehead. Some people chose to interpret it in a way that seemed like he was completely devoid of normal human interactions. That was, obviously, false.

But that also didn't mean that he was keen on drinking coffee with strangers. He would much rather prefer to enjoy his early mornings alone.

Kurapika was so deep in thought that the man's words didn't register immediately.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" He asked, face mirroring the confused look.

"Y'know that this building basically has floorboards made of fleece paper, right?" the man smirked, "To say that I could hear you turning your pillow over the entire night is an understatement."

Kurapika felt his face turn a hundred degrees warmer. He wasn't so sure that it was from the heat, though.

"So- do you want the coffee or no?"

Should Kurapika do it? Is it really worth it? This whole ordeal started because of him. He might as well commit – even though his entire body is protesting against it.

It beats watching TV. And the futile sleep attempts. He'll allow it. Just this once, and afterwards they could both pretend that this interaction never happened. They'll return to being normal neighbors, who'll only greet each other when their paths cross.

Maybe Kurapika's putting too much thought into this.

"With milk and sugar, please," he said before rationality could win over, wriggling his way onto the fire escape.

"Great! You can sit down, I'll be back in a minute." he quickly put out his cigarette, setting the textbook and ashtray aside.

The man stood up, followed by the sound of bones cracking, and then he disappeared into the darkness of his apartment.

Kurapika descended the wobbly stairs, feeling the slightly warm metal against his bare feet.

He sneaked a peek into the man’s apartment, watching him as he was preparing his coffee.

Only now, after he saw him standing at full height, did Kurapika notice how tall the man was. And how his muscles were visible thanks to the short sleeves of his t-shirt.

_'Am I staring? What has gotten into me?'_

Seemingly done with the coffee, the man turned around, walking back towards the fire escape.

 _Fuck_. He didn't mean to ogle him. Did he notice?

A blush was creeping up Kurapika's face before he had time to collect himself.

"Here ya go! I hope it's close to how you make it." He said with a grin, extending his left arm to Kurapika.

"Thank you." Kurapika took the mug, turning his eyes away from the man.

_'Maybe if I don't look at his face directly I'll manage to avoid finding my neighbor painfully attractive.'_

His gaze landed onto the textbook that was occupying a part of the grate. Even if it was turned sideways, Kurapika managed to see the title, a large portion of the text hidden underneath the ashtray.

" _Cataracta?"_ Kurapika read out loud, "are you a medical student?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah." The man climbed back onto the fire escape.

_'Ah. That explains lots of things.'_

"That's great. The medical field is extremely hard. I have great respect for people who are in it."

A thought suddenly flashed in his mind, "I'm not intruding on your studying, am I?"

He turned to look at the man, who was now back to his previous seated position, "Not at all."

A dangerous gleam dances across Kurapika’s eyes, his lips pulling into a smirk.

"Ah, I see. So was you offering me a cup of coffee an elaborate scheme to further procrastinate studying for an important exam?" Kurapika locked eyes with the man, a teasing tone in his voice.

He wished he hadn't done that. He had managed to break the rule that he set upon himself.

Up close, Kurapika had no doubt in his mind that the man was attractive. He was beyond that. And Kurapika doesn't think that his sleep-deprived heart _and brain_ can handle it. His cheeks were blushing again before he knew it.

"I'm afraid that the only thing that can help me pass the exam right now is a prayer." He sighed, throwing his head back.

Kurapika chuckled, moving to sit next to the man – an act justified by Kurapika telling himself that he was too tired to stand, but subconsciously, he knew that wasn’t true.

"Remind me not to go to a clinic where my _cataracta_ will be treated by Dr.-"

"Leorio Paladiknight." Leorio scoffed and rolled his eyes at the blonde's antics, but the corner of his lips was pulled into a slight smirk.

Kurapika chuckled, taking a sip of coffee, ‘’Well, sorry Dr. Paladiknight, but you just lost a very _precious_ future patient.’’

‘’Yeah, yeah, rub it in.’’ Leorio playfully shoved him, earning a chuckle from Kurapika, ‘’if I knew you were capable of teasing an unknown neighbor, I would have actually studied instead.’’

Kurapika started laughing louder, ignoring Leorio’s elbow jabbing him at his side.

Eventually, Kurapika’s laughs and Leorio’s scoffs died out, a comfortable silence settling between them.

Kurapika cradled his mug, gaze fixated on the waking city, painted with pink and yellow from the rising sun. He could see people walking on the street, some starting their day, others finishing theirs. The sounds of cars passing by fully engulfed them into the city atmosphere.

And even after all of that, Kurapika felt _peaceful_. It was alarming how comfortable it all seemed, feeling Leorio’s warmth radiating from where their shoulders where pressed together, the only sounds exchanged between them loud, slow sips of coffee.

For a _‘one time thing’_ , it sure felt like routine.

A flick of a lighter and the familiar scent of cigarette smoke brought Kurapika back to reality.

‘’You want one?’’ He turned to see Leorio extending his arm, a pack of cigarettes in his hand.

He faintly hears Pakunoda pestering him about smoking, but he pushes the thought away, pulling one out of the pack. ‘’Thank you.’’

Kurapika is in the process of turning his hand over, fully expecting Leorio to give him the lighter.

Instead, Leorio brings the lighter up to the cigarette, one hand cupped in front of it out of pure instinct. In the blink of an eye, Kurapika’s cigarette is lit, and his lungs fill with an all too familiar warmth.

He exhales the smoke. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Leorio scoot away, making room so he could put the ashtray between them. Kurapika doesn’t want to admit that he already misses his warmth.

He tries not to comment on the alarming number of cigarettes that have met their end by being stubbed against the hard metal of the ashtray. Instead, he settles on – ‘’aren’t you supposed to advocate against cigarettes? Smoking is a bad image for a doctor.’’

Leorio quirks an eyebrow and exhales the smoke quickly, ‘’didn’t you already come to the conclusion that I’ll be a bad doctor? I won’t be able to treat your _cataracta_ after all.’’

‘’You won’t be able to treat anyone’s _cataracta_ if you’re too preoccupied with your black lungs.’’ Kurapika punctuates his statement by taking another drag.

‘’You’re the one to talk,’’ Leorio’s now fully turned around to face Kurapika, ‘’what could you possibly do for a job that makes it okay for you to smoke?’’

He knows that Leorio is teasing, but that doesn’t stop him from blushing, knowing that he’s been caught.

Suddenly he has become way too conscious of the cigarette burning between his fingers.

‘’I’m a singer.’’

Even if he’s deliberately ignoring Leorio’s gaze, Kurapika still notices when everything clicks in Leorio’s head, and he _knows_ he’ll never let him live this down.

‘’Aren’t you supposed to advocate against cigarettes? Smoking is a bad image for a _singer._ You’ll damage your vocal chords.’’ Kurapika can _hear_ Leorio’s smirk, and he wants to wipe it off his _stupidly attractive_ face.

‘’I sing in a rock band. Smoking adds to the aesthetic.’’ Kurapika huffs, desperately trying to pull himself out of this situation.

_‘’When did I become the topic of this conversation?’’_

Leorio laughs, ‘’Nah, don’t try to justify it now! You’re just as guilty as I am!’’

To say that Kurapika was frustrated was an understatement. He turned around, harshly stubbing the cigarette into the ashtray.

To make matter worse, Leorio wouldn’t stop _laughing_ , ‘’Do you want another one? It will go perfectly with your band tee. It really pulls the aesthetic together, y’know?’’

‘’Shut up Leorio!’’ Kurapika tried, but it was fruitless.

‘’Oh, you can dish it but you can’t take it? I see how it is.’’ He raised an eyebrow, the corner of his lips pulling into a smirk.

Kurapika has had enough. His scarlet eyes, now full of rage, lock with Leorio’s brown ones. ‘’Just shut up Leorio! You don’t know why I actually started smoking! Just leave it be!’’

Leorio’s eyes widened, clearly taken aback by Kurapika’s outburst. _Fuck._ The look in his eyes makes Kurapika want to apologize.

He turns back, bringing his knees to his chest and wrapping his arms around them. Silence falls between them again. This time, it’s _unbearable_.

And Kurapika can tell that Leorio feels it too. He feels bad, knowing that he possibly ruined something. For a second, he contemplates leaving, thanking him for the coffee and company, before returning to his lonely apartment and scolding himself for being such an idiot.

Thankfully, Leorio doesn’t let him. ‘’So – you sing in a rock band?’’

‘’Yes. For two years now, actually.’’

‘’What?! No way! That’s so cool man!’’ He cheers, seemingly forgetting about their previous conversation.

Kurapika feels like a weight has been lifted off his chest.

With that weight gone, he allows himself to feel a sense of pride from the compliment. ‘’Yes, it is. I write the songs too.’’

‘’Man, I can’t believe it, that’s incredibly impressive. I have no words.’’

Kurapika chuckles, waving him off with his left hand. ‘’Don’t flatter me so much. It’s really not that big of a deal.’’

‘’Um, yes it is? Not everyone is talented for music man,’’ Leorio furrows his eyebrows in disbelief, ‘’anyways, what’s your band called?’’

Kurapika is so taken aback that he doesn’t realize a full minute has passed. His neighbor, the man that he was only supposed to share coffee with _once_ was now asking him about his band, presumably so he can listen to their music when he has free time.

And just as Kurapika manages to find his composure, just as he’s opening his lips to say the name, an alarm starts blaring off.

‘’Shit – its 6 am already?’’ Leorio scrambles to turn the alarm off, clearly offended by the interruption.

‘’Sorry man, I should be getting ready to leave soon.’’ He turns back to look at Kurapika, ‘’what were you saying?’’

But then an idea flashes in his mind. A mischievous one no less. He doesn’t know what came over him in that moment, really.

With a gleam in his eye, Kurapika stands, stretching his hands above his head. ‘’Nothing. Nothing at all.’’

The look Leorio gives him is _priceless_. He wants to capture it, keep it forever.

‘’Wh- wait! You can’t give me that! What the hell man?!’’

But it was too late. Kurapika was already climbing up the steps back to his apartment, ignoring the way Leorio’s glare burned holes into his back.

And just as he was about to enter his apartment, he stopped and looked through the grates, gaze meeting Leorio’s. It felt like déjà vu.

‘’You’ll find out soon enough.’’ Kurapika smirked, ‘’Thank you for the coffee and the company, Leorio.’’

‘’I would thank you too, but I don’t know if you deserve it-’’ Leorio stopped, holding his breath, waiting for a response.

‘’Kurapika.’’

With a smirk on his face, he climbed into his apartment, leaving behind a puzzled Leorio on the fire escape.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurapika tries really hard to push his feelings away, but they always seem to be coming back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you all sm for the kudos! enjoy the next chapter!

Three hours later, Kurapika was on his way to the studio, still running on zero hours of sleep.

Ever since he climbed back into his apartment, he couldn’t stop thinking about _Leorio_.

He was plaguing his mind. His beautiful face, his hearty laugh, the way their shoulders were pressed together.

_It was all too much_. He let himself loose more than he should have. And now he has to suffer the consequences.

Kurapika spent the rest of the morning under freezing cold water as punishment.

And even now, as he’s approaching the building where their studio resides, unlocking the door and climbing up the stairs, his thoughts are betraying reason, and are drifting off to visions of deep brown eyes.

Kurapika desperately shook his head, as if the thoughts would spill out.

_‘He’s my neighbor for fuck’s sake. I already took it too far in the end, I don’t have to push it.’_

Before he even knew it, Kurapika was climbing the last step up the stairs and the door to their studio catches his eye.

With a groan he begins to search for the keys. He briefly wonders if always arriving to the studio early is a blessing or a curse. Maybe he’ll elaborate on that when he is well rested.

Except this time when he puts the key in the lock, it is met with resistance.

He quirks of an eyebrow and pushes the handle, the door opening with ease.

The second he stepped inside, he was greeted with arguing voices.

"Kurapika!" His gaze landed on Pairo, who was sitting at the drum set, "tell Machi that it sounds better if the last _wah_ is longer, not the first one!"

"Pairo, I'm not going to say it twice. When you _or_ Kurapika pick up a guitar with your hands and learn how to play it, _then_ I will be persuaded to _consider_ your opinion." Machi was standing to Pairo's left, foot propped up on the _Wah pedal,_ the coldness in her voice ever-present.

"Well good morning to you too." Kurapika said, closing the door behind him.

He walked over and started setting up the microphone, thinking that their little fight was over.

As if he read Kurapika’s mind, Pairo continued, earning a groan from Machi, "Come on Kurapika! Agree with me!"

"I'm sorry Pairo," Kurapika tapped the microphone, his voice now followed by an echo, "but we both know that arguing with Machi is pointless. It's better to just admit defeat."

"Ugh, I don’t know why I bother. You're useless." He rolled his eyes.

Kurapika sneaked a peak at Machi, who appeared to be trying her best not to roll her eyes. He had to resist the temptation to chuckle.

‘’Anyways – are we going to start practicing again, or do you need a minute to prepare Kurapika?’’ Machi was now hunched over her amplifier, fiddling with the knobs.

‘’Uh-‘’ Kurapika turned to look at the stand that was usually occupied by Pakunoda’s base, ‘’are we not going to wait for Pakunoda? Is she even showing up today?’’

‘’Oh, yeah, she told me that she will be running late. She needs to pick something up or whatever.’’ Machi spoke again, strumming some basic chords.

‘’Oh…okay,’’ He furrows his eyebrows, ‘’Pairo, are you ready to go?’’

‘’Sure thing!’’

Kurapika cleared his throat, the music roaring to life around him. In the next few seconds he was singing, all thoughts of Leorio pushed far back into his head for now.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, the door opened, making all of them halt their movements.

In walked Pakunoda, bass slinged on one shoulder, the other hand busy with holding some sort of papers. A cigarette resided behind her ear.

‘’Look who finally decided to show up,’’ Kurapika teased.

Pakunoda shot daggers at him from her eyes, ‘’I don’t want to hear any complaints. I don’t know how any of you would manage without me. I went across town to pick up _these_.’’

She punctuated that statement by slamming the stack of papers against Kurapika’s chest, retrieving to her side of the studio to pull the bass from its case.

Kurapika fumbled with the papers, but eventually managed to keep them from spilling onto the ground. He furrowed his eyebrows and took one from the stack, examining it.

They were, in fact, not normal papers, but posters.

They had their logo displayed in the center of it, a heart wrapped in a chain with a little blade on the end, stabbed into the heart. Above it, their band name, _'Chain Jail'_ , was written in a white font, contrasting greatly with the black background.

In the bottom left corner, it read _'Live music night at "Nen" club with various bands!"_ and next to it was the fast-approaching date.

_'Oh…right. I forgot about the posters.'_

He turned back to Pakunoda and smiled, "Thank you. I had completely forgot about them."

"You're welcome." She pulled the strap of the bass over her head and smiled back, ‘’don’t complain ever again.’’

Sensing the teasing tone in her voice, Kurapika chuckled.

All of their conversations quickly died down, and they went back to practicing.

* * *

Four hours later, they decided to wrap it up for the day.

The reason for that being the fact that they could not get the last part of their newest song _just right_.

As everyone was packing their stuff, work-worn looks adorned their faces. Especially now, with the live music night approaching, they needed to put in extra effort to perfect everything.

Kurapika was slowly feeling the pressure. But he can’t let it take over his whole body.

And again, as if he were able to read Kurapika’s mind, Pairo spoke, pulling him out of his thoughts, ‘’Want to grab a coffee or something? We could try to sort out the last part.’’

‘’Fine by me. I need to hang these up around town later anyway.’’ Pakunoda said, gesturing to the posters.

Kurapika and Machi could only muster up a nod as a sign of agreement.

Everyone’s faces seemed to lighten up a little, the only thing on their mind right now the _sweet, rich aroma of coffee_.

Machi and Pairo went on ahead, and Kurapika stayed behind to wait for Pakunoda to finish organizing the posters.

‘’Hey, uh-‘’ He said, Pakunoda turning to give him her full attention, ‘’is there a possibility for me to take one?’’

A puzzled look flashed across her face, but she handed him the poster anyway, ‘’Sure. May I ask why?’’

Kurapika tried to conceal his smirk. ‘’Oh no reason.’’

‘’You can try and keep secrets Kurapika, but I always find out.’’

‘’Yeah, yeah, I know – now hurry up or Machi and Pairo will go without us.’’

‘’Don’t rush me.’’

* * *

The next night, at around 8 pm, Kurapika decided to spend his time on the fire escape.

He had his head leaned up against the palm of his hand, hair pulled up in a messy bun to avoid burning it on the cigarette that was in between his fingers.

Anyone that would see him would say that he is looking at the skyline, mesmerized by the glowing lights of the city. But truth be told, Kurapika was looking _through_ it.

In actuality, he was resisting every single urge not to look down, through the grates.

His brain was telling him to stay focused, to continue watching the sleepless city until it was time to leave for band practice.

But his heart was pretty compelling, telling him how it would be _so_ easy to look down, and see if Leorio had his lights on.

The sound of wobbling metal made Kurapika's spine shiver. His heart won over, and he turned and glanced down.

There he was, climbing up the fire escape to his own apartment. Kurapika’s heart thumped in his chest.

Noticing the movement above, Leorio looked up, surprised to see Kurapika there.

He pretends not to notice how Leorio’s eyes instantly acquired a certain glow.

‘’Hey! What’s up?’’

Kurapika waves the hand that holds the cigarette, ‘’Nothing much, relaxing. You?’’

‘’Nothing much. Just getting back home.’’ Leorio gestures to the window.

The blonde raises an eyebrow in puzzlement, ‘’you do know that a very important requirement for apartments is a door, right?’’

Leorio chuckles, ‘’well, they shouldn’t be, because a night out drinking can easily make you lose the keys to the said door.’’

Concern spread across Kurapika’s face, ‘’Oh God, that’s unfortunate.’’

‘’Yeah, well – not to worry though! I was drinking at a friend’s place, so getting them back was easy.’’

Okay, now Kurapika was really confused. Leorio got his keys back, right? Why would he be entering his apartment through the window again?

A very _dangerous_ idea flashed in his mind. One that he shouldn’t even be entertaining in the first place.

_‘Is he coming to the fire escape in hopes to see me?’_

_‘Kurapika, that is too selfish.’_

Out of courtesy (and for the sake of his own well-being), Kurapika decided not to pry. He’s sure that there is a perfectly logical explanation to Leorio’s weird behavior.

‘’Hey, if you’re not too busy, may I join you for a bit? Only if you’re cool with it, though.’’

The logical explanation was thrown overboard the second Leorio said those words.

_‘Nonono, absolutely not.’_ Said the brain.

_‘Yesyesyes, absolutely yes!’_ Countered the heart.

Inside his body, a battlefield. Who will come out triumphant first?

‘’Uh-‘’ Kurapika spoke, ‘’-sure.’’

An image of his brain waving a white flag burned itself into Kurapika’s memory.

In a matter of seconds, Leorio was next to him, back against the railing, and a cigarette perched between his lips.

‘’Oh, by the way,’’ Leorio blew the smoke, ‘’I passed the exam. So now I am perfectly qualified to treat your _cataracta_.’’

‘’Oh, really? Maybe in theory, but I’m not so sure about practice.’’ Kurapika’s smirk was not only apparent on his face, but in the tone of his voice as well.

Leorio rolled his eyes, and opened his mouth to protest, but quickly closed it, thinking better of it. Instead, he took another drag from the cigarette.

A few minutes passed by in silence.

Kurapika watches as Leorio turns around, stubbing the cigarette against the railing, and letting it fall down onto the street.

His gaze shifted from Leorio’s hand to his face, and his breath hitches in his throat. Brown eyes were staring at him with intensity.

Kurapika was suddenly made aware of how Leorio was towering over him, and how close their bodies were. A blush appeared on his cheeks and in a moment of boldness, he returned the gaze with the same amount of intensity.

Kurapika’s mind is in a haze. The fact that he could feel Leorio’s body warmth wasn’t doing him any good, either.

They stood there for what felt like an eternity. If one of them didn’t pull back, Kurapika is certain that they’ll stand like this forever.

Leorio is the first to break the silence, ‘’I- um, need to go. I have another exam to study for.’’

‘’Oh, yeah. I need to go to band practice soon.’’ Kurapika says, to remind himself more than anything, and he withdraws from Leorio.

‘’Oh? You’re going to the practice of the super-secret band whose name you’ll not tell me?’’ Leorio teased.

_‘He really is impatient.’_

‘’I already told you that you’ll find out soon. God you’re persistent.’’ The blonde rolled his eyes, and pushed Leorio to the stairs, ‘’Now go, I don’t want to delay your studying any longer.’’

Leorio chuckled, and descended the stairs. Before retrieving to his apartment, he smiled and waved at Kurapika.

With a shake of his head, Kurapika climbed back into his own apartment and started to prepare.

He showered, knowing that late night band practice usually drags out until the wee hours of the night. He then sat on the couch and ate dinner, while making last minute changes to the newest lyrics.

By the time he was done, it was already 9 pm. He slipped on his shoes and started unlocking the door before remembering something.

‘’Ah, that’s right… I almost forgot.’’ He spoke out loud, and strutted over to the kitchen counter, where the poster and some duct tape sat.

He had to make a quick detour before heading to practice, after all.

With a spring in his step, Kurapika walked down the stairs to the floor below.

He stifled a happy noise when he found Leorio’s apartment door.

Determination flashed across his facial features as he pulled at the duct tape. He stopped for a second when he heard it echoing throughout the building, but he continued anyways.

Kurapika tore at it with his teeth and gently placed the poster to the door, and then proceeded to secure it.

When he was done, he pulled back, observing his work. He nodded in satisfaction, pleased with it.

Kurapika turned on his heels and headed for the exit, a mischievous smirk plastered on his face.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> how to light someone's cigarette in a sexy way (wikihow article)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you all sm for the support! i'm so sorry that i haven't posted this chapter sooner, i've had exams literally every single day, and next week will unfortunately be the same, but i'll try and finish chapter 4 earlier!  
> there's a song from an ex-yugoslavian movie that i really thought had the vibes of kurapika's band in this fic, so u can give it a listen if u want to, here it is: https://youtu.be/twHQR0ymIp4  
> also disclaimer, there's alcohol drinking in this, so if u don't like that, u don't have to read it!  
> i hope you enjoy the chapter!

Kurapika feels something warm settle on his face, _rudely_ causing him to wake up.

He cracks one eye open, ready to face the offender, only to be blinded by a sun ray that was beaming through his window.

He drapes his arm over his head, trying to shield himself from the intrusion. His attempt was, however, fruitless. He settles on sitting up.

The blonde rubs his eyes to sharpen his vision, his eyes travel downwards and he frowns. He still has on the jeans and shirt he wore last night. For a second, he is confused, his mind scrambling to find out why he couldn’t take 2 minutes to change.

_‘Oh, right. Practice took longer than usual, and I returned home at 3 am.’_

He correlates his inability to change with his exhaustion, and starts rummaging around his sheets, in search of his phone.

It took him approximately five minutes to figure out that it was still in one of his pockets.

Kurapika shakes his head, followed by a disappointed sigh, and he unlocks his phone.

_‘7:10 am, not bad. I’ve dealt with worse.’_

He slams his phone onto the bed and puts his head into his hands, rubbing the remnants of sleep from his face.

Kurapika throws his legs to the side of the bed and stands up. The exact second he stood up, a loud rumble echoes throughout the apartment, clashing with the calm morning atmosphere.

The source of it? His stomach.

He trudges over to the kitchen, and swings open the fridge, only to find a void staring back at him.

_‘Guess that means I’m having a deep breath for breakfast.’_

Except he does manage to find a single orange in the fruit bowl, so Kurapika eagerly grabs it.

_‘I guess it will have to suffice.’_

He munches on the orange as he’s watching the water boil in the coffeepot. When he deems the water ready, he drops the coffee in.

When the coffee is done, Kurapika pours the usual amount of sugar inside. He frowns and looks down at his cup, the absence of milk way too noticeable. But it was also noticeable in the fridge as well, so he adds more sugar as a substitute.

And he’s already opening the window to the fire escape, coffee in hand, before he realizes that he forgot to bring his cigarettes with him. He places the coffee on the windowsill and turns around, spotting the pack on the coffee table.

‘’Aha!’’ Kurapika exclaims as he grabs hold of them, depositing them in his back pocket.

But as he’s about to turn around, he spots something lying on the floor in front of the door.

Kurapika raises an eyebrow, and crouches down, snatching the object from the floor. He furrows his eyebrows as he looks at it.

It’s the poster he taped to Leorio’s front door. Disappointment flashes in Kurapika’s scarlet eyes – _‘Is he returning it because he doesn’t care anymore?’_

As if it would give him the answer to his question, Kurapika starts turning the poster every which way.

It does end up answering his question when he flips it around, black ink covering the white backside of the poster.

Even though Leorio’s handwriting is messy (fitting for a future doctor), it doesn’t take Kurapika more than a second to decipher it, the message clear as day.

_‘I’ll be there ;)’_

Heat travels to Kurapika’s face in a millisecond. He slams the poster to the floor, as if not seeing it will erase any memory of it.

Against his better judgment, he takes a peek. And then another. And then another.

He’s stopped counting how many times he’s flipped it over after the number went into double digits.

Kurapika slaps a hand over his mouth and looks away, face still red. He shuts his eyes and takes deep breaths, reeling himself back to reality.

_‘What was I doing before this? Think Kurapika, think…’_

_Oh yeah, getting cigarettes…Wait, what for?’_

_‘Oh shit! The coffee is getting cold!’_

He quickly stood up and ran to the window, slipping on the poster in the process.

Kurapika purposefully chooses to ignore the symbolism behind that, and decides to keep himself busy the whole day to prevent a single thought from occurring.

* * *

‘’Here ya go.’’ Leorio said, handing his friend Pietro the beer he was holding.

‘’Thanks.’’

He leaned against the bar counter, observing the club that they found themselves in.

It was an underground bar, nestled in an alleyway between two buildings. It was very hard to miss, and if it weren’t for Kurapika, Leorio would have passed by the alleyway, not even thinking that a club could be there.

What shocked him the most was the fact that, for an underground club, it was pretty spacious. A few bar tables were scattered around, but they were mostly pushed to the side, keeping the center area empty. The bar was left of the stage, which stood a little taller than the club floor. The only source of light was illuminating the stage, bathing it in white. The instruments shined under it.

Leorio took a sip of his beer, mentally noting how many people were already there, standing in the center.

‘’Wow, there’s quite a crowd here tonight, huh? Your boyfriend’s band must be very popular.’’ Pietro commented, a teasing tone in his voice.

It took every ounce of self-control for Leorio not to spit out his beer. ‘’Are you fucking kidding me? He’s my _neighbor_.’’

‘’Oh, right, let me rephrase that-‘’ He had the nerve to _smirk_ , ‘’-The band of your neighbor, who you obviously have a crush on, must be very popular.’’

Leorio rolled his eyes and shoved at Pietro, causing a little bit of his beer to spill, ‘’you’re annoying. I should’ve invited Zepile instead.’’

Pietro laughed at that outright, and continued to sip on his beer. Leorio wanted nothing more than for the ground to open up and to swallow him whole.

He pulled his cigarette pack from his back pocket and put one to his lips. He fished his lighter out and lit the cigarette, noting that the flame was burning weakly. _‘Hopefully it’ll hold out for the rest of the night.’_

Leorio inhaled the smoke deeply, and turned his eyes back towards the stage, but he only did that so he could avoid Pietro’s gaze. How was he so good at reading his mind like a book?

Probably because they’ve known each other since birth. Or maybe because Leorio wasn’t good at hiding his emotions. For the sake of remaining ignorant, he’ll say that it’s the former.

But it was increasingly difficult to be oblivious when the only thing he thought about was Kurapika.

Leorio doesn’t remember the last time he had an intense crush on someone. Maybe because _this_ was the first time…okay, maybe he’ll remain ignorant about that as well.

Even though they’ve seen each other two times _at best_ , Kurapika has already managed to embroider himself into Leorio’s mind. And it only took him a few weeks.

It was infuriating, especially when he had to be studying, and suddenly he’d hear something upstairs, and his whole thought process would shift.

But, Leorio wasn’t born yesterday – he knew that his thoughts were products of a new crush blossoming. And the most frustrating thing was the fact that he was aware of that, and he couldn’t do anything about it.

He didn’t realize that his cigarette was burning his fingers until Pietro hit him.

‘’Hey man,’’ he said, ‘’I get that you’re nervous and impatient but try not to burn your hands off in the process, okay?’’

And just as Leorio was about to offer a rebuttal about how he’s _perfectly calm and patient_ , a microphone tap echoes throughout the club.

It was surprising how he didn’t break his neck from turning it too fast. Behind him he heard Pietro snicker, but he kept his gaze forward, eyes landing on a man on the stage.

_‘Well, that definitely isn’t Kurapika.’_

He tried to hide the disappointment that spread across his face. Instead, he busied himself with grabbing Pietro by his wrist and dragging him to the center.

‘’Thank you all so much for coming!’’ The man spoke into the mic, ‘’we’re sorry for the small delay, there were some minor difficulties. But now we’re all ready to go! We hope that you’ll enjoy the rest of the night!’’

_‘Come on, announce the first band already.’_

‘’And now-‘’

_‘Please let it be Kurapika’s band.’_

‘’Please welcome to the stage-‘’

_‘It has to be. Please...’’_

‘’Our first band of the night – _Chain Jail!_ ’’

In an instant, Leorio was surrounded by the sound of people screaming the band’s name. The white light that was illuminating the stage turned red, and a smoke machine behind the drums set off.

The first person to walk to the stage was Kurapika, followed by his fellow bandmates.

The second Leorio set his eyes on him, his breath hitched in his throat. Kurapika looked _ethereal_.

He was wearing black skinny jeans and a black shirt. On his left ear dangled a ruby earring, sparkling even brighter under the matching light.

Leorio was already overwhelmed. He was sure that even if he closed his eyes at that very moment, he’d still see Kurapika as if he was looking at him directly.

But then Kurapika confidently grabbed the mic, and stared down at the crowd. The way his eyes shined with certainty under the light was breathtaking.

In that moment Leorio was sure that what he was looking at wasn’t a normal person. _No._ It was a _deity_.

‘’Hello everyone! We’re _Chain Jail!_ ’’ Kurapika said, followed by a roar of the crowd, ‘’we hope you enjoy the show!’’

A few seconds passed while everyone checked their instruments. Then, the pink-haired guitarist started playing the riff. The drums and bass followed.

Around them, music roared to life and the lights started to flicker with different colors. Everyone started jumping to the beat of the music.

Kurapika swayed from side to side, left hand steady on the microphone, waiting for the right moment to start singing.

_And there it was_. With a flick of his hair and a deep breath, he opened his mouth.

The sound that came out of his mouth made Leorio stop dead in his tracks. He couldn’t believe his ears.

If he had to describe it, the term _siren call_ would fit it perfectly. Heavenly, but _deadly_. It was pulling him in, and Leorio is not sure that he’ll ever be able to escape.

He doesn’t notice that the plastic cup full of beer is slipping from his fingers until it hits the floor, spilling over a few people’s shoes in the process. Nobody notices, _thank God_ , because they’re all enchanted by Kurapika’s singing.

When the guitar solo hit, Kurapika closed his eyes and started to whip his hair side-to-side, dancing to the music. The claps of the crowd matched the music.

Leorio thought that he was going to spontaneously _combust_.

The song slowly came to a close, the instruments getting progressively slower and quieter. Everybody started to clap and cheer, chanting _‘Chain Jail!’_ , and Leorio let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding.

Kurapika muttered a quick _Thank you_ into the mic. As soon as they started playing the opening notes to their next song, Leorio turned to Pietro.

‘’I’m going to go get another beer. You want something?’’

‘’Get me one too-‘’ He replied, and Leorio started making his way through the crowd.

Suddenly he felt Pietro grab him by the wrist and turn him around. Leorio raised an eyebrow.

‘’Get yourself some ice-cold water too, you’re red all over.’’ He smirked, a knowing look plastered on his face.

Leorio snatched his arm back, ‘’Fuck off. You’re not getting your beer now.’’

‘’Yeahyeah, make sure you get back as quickly as possible, the sound is better in front of the stage.’’

Leorio flipped him off, and turned around to push his way through the mob.

* * *

Leorio did not end up getting back. Not because he didn’t want to, but because pushing through the crowd in front of the bar was physically impossible.

So he watched the rest of the concert leaned against the bar, the cup of beer keeping him company instead of Pietro.

Okay, maybe it was two cups of beer. But he decided that Pietro’s beer would be better off in his stomach than for it to get lukewarm and possibly spilled across the bar. It was a pretty logical way of thinking, and Leorio applauded himself for being able to think rationally even when he was feeling tipsy.

When Kurapika’s band finished, the lights went back to normal, the next band getting on stage and checking their equipment.

_‘Fuck, I should probably find Pietro before he thinks I left.’_ Leorio started preparing to try and break the impenetrable wall of people.

But the second he pushed himself off the bar, the world felt a little slower.

_‘Maybe I’m way tipsier than I thought.’_

He closed his eyes and tried to ground himself, but a sudden hand on his shoulder made him open his eyes wide.

‘’Dude, you okay?’’ Pietro was standing in front of him.

Leorio chuckled and shook his head, ‘’the room was spinning for like, a good second.’’

‘’I have to go, I need to get up early,’’ Pietro squeezed his shoulder, ‘’you should head home too before you black out.’’

Leorio nodded as best as he could in a drunk state, and said his goodbyes to Pietro.

_‘Maybe you should listen to him for once and head back.’_

_‘One more beer couldn’t hurt, right?’_

The debate in his head was short-lived, and he quickly turned around, ignoring how he almost lost his balance, head focusing on the simple task of buying beer.

The second his body was fully turned to the bar, his eyes zeroed in on blonde hair.

_Kurapika_.

He was leaning against the bar, palms planted firmly against it, and he was trying to say his order, the music in the background making him speak louder.

_Fuck._ How does he manage to look so good even when Leorio’s vision is slightly blurred?

‘’Oh, hey,’’ Kurapika’s voice filled Leorio’s ears.

He looked down at Kurapika, who now had his lips wrapped around a straw, sipping his vodka screwdriver.

‘’Uh- hi.’’

They stood there, staring at each other. It didn’t feel awkward per se, but Leorio felt like the silence was stretching on longer than what was deemed comfortable, so he busied himself with ordering another beer.

‘’Did you like the show?’’ Kurapika waited patiently for Leorio to get his drink, and then he spoke.

‘’Oh my God, yes-‘’ Leorio said, taking a sip of his beer, ‘’you’re voice is beautiful. I never heard anyone sing so well before. You’re very talented.’’

Even under the dim light, the blush on Kurapika’s cheeks was apparent, ‘’thank you. I’m glad you enjoyed it.’’

Leorio smirked against the rim of the cup, ‘’of course, it’d be a shame to ruin it by smoking so many cigarettes.’’

‘’God you’re insufferable.’’ Kurapika smacked him on the arm, but Leorio didn’t fail to catch the small smile he was obviously trying to hide.

They stood there, next to bar, chatting about anything and everything.

One beer turned into two, and one vodka screwdriver turned into three. By the time the third band was on the stage, they were both pretty inebriated.

Leorio must have said something funny, because Kurapika was clutching his stomach, unable to hold back his laughter. It felt like time was moving too fast and too slow at the same time.

The music died down, but the band quickly started playing their next song, and Kurapika gasped, grabbing Leorio’s wrist.

‘’Oh my God! I love this song.’’ He quickly tugged Leorio towards the center, the excitement apparent in his tone of voice.

* * *

To say that Kurapika was shocked to see that Leorio was still in the club was an understatement.

Even though there was an enormous crowd, especially in the center, he still managed to single Leorio out when he was on stage. And he had to push back any visible disappointment when he saw him leave the said center.

Initially his plan was to drink away that feeling that clung onto him after the performance, but when he saw Leorio at the bar, his mood evidently increased.

Sober Kurapika had a lot of time to think these past few weeks. Especially when he would climb onto the fire escape in hopes of seeing a certain man. But he would always feel defeated when he looked down to see the empty grate.

The feeling of false hope interfered with his life as days went on, and he decided to label Leorio as his personal _‘sword of Damocles’._ So, naturally, he wanted to keep everything at a _platonic_ , but also very _distant_ level.

But of course, drunk Kurapika had numerous complaints about that.

Drunk Kurapika decided that engaging in a conversation with Leorio was crucial. He was downing the alcohol like water, seemingly unaware of the burning sensation in his chest. Remnants of sober Kurapika were slowly disappearing from his brain. And, before he knew it, he was all but gone.

He vaguely remembers sober Kurapika scolding himself for not having a proper meal, but after that, he didn’t hear from him again. He doesn’t know whether to be sad of relieved.

Not wasting any time after that ( _he might come back, after all)_ , Kurapika dragged Leorio to the center of the club.

And that’s where they find themselves at right now.

They’re dancing to the music, or rather _attempting_ to dance to the music, drunken limbs sprawled everywhere.

Kurapika’s mind feels like it’s swimming, everything seems to be slower and in a haze, but he’s having fun, laughing and smiling pressed up against Leorio because of the mob. It feels _amazing_ to let loose.

Even with his vision blurred, Kurapika sees Leorio pull a cigarette from his pack, placing it between his lips. He struggles with the lighter, but eventually succeeds.

_‘Oh, that’s a smart idea.’_ Kurapika thought, reaching for his own back pocket.

He goes through the routine, except the cigarette almost falls to the floor and he misses his mouth an alarming amount of times before he finally perches it on his lips. And just when he thinks it couldn’t get worse, he can’t find his damn lighter.

Leorio, watching down at Kurapika’s shenanigans in amusement, decides to lend a helping hand. He takes his own lighter, and flicks it.

Except no flame comes out.

Leorio curses, and tries again. And then again. And a- _oh for fuck’s sake this isn’t working!_

He groans and pockets the lighter. Kurapika is preparing to turn to the next stranger he sees and ask them if they have a one by any chance – _until he feels the touch of Leorio’s hand burn the back of his neck._

The fingers of his other hand are holding the cigarette firmly and with a hard pull he sends Kurapika tumbling forward.

Kurapika’s mind doesn’t get a second to register what’s going on, hands flying to Leorio’s shoulders in an attempt to steady himself. Then Leorio presses their cigarettes together, and within a second, his cigarette is lit.

Kurapika’s eyes widen. In that moment, he feels he’s at _just_ the right temperature for the alcohol in his body to evaporate. And then he makes a grave mistake.

He looks up from the cigarettes and his eyes immediately lock with Leorio’s.

Kurapika’s heart feels like it’s going to pop out of his ribcage. Leorio was staring back at him with such an intense gaze, he had to resist the urge to squirm. It reminded him of their second fire escape encounter.

And Kurapika would lie if he said he wasn’t enjoying it.

As if on que, they both removed the cigarettes from their mouths, exhaled smoke the only bulwark stopping them from being fully pressed together.

Unfortunately, that bulwark was built on a shaky foundation, and it collapsed before their very eyes, leaving them with no protection in order to fend off any dangerous thoughts that were lurking in the shadows.

And the only thing you can do in that situation is surrender or run. And when Leorio’s hand started to burn harder on the back of his neck, Kurapika was _so close_ to surrendering.

Until a voice in the back of his head told him to run. So, like the dumbass he is, he listened.

He slowly pulled back from Leorio, muttering a quick _‘Thank you’_. He avoided Leorio’s gaze, but still ended up sneaking a peek, an unreadable expression on his face.

Kurapika decided that he was more sober than what was deemed appropriate at his very moment. _‘Alcohol. I need more alcohol.’_

‘’I’m going to go and grab a beer or something, you want anything?’’ He yelled.

Leorio contemplated his answer before replying, ‘’Sure, why not?’’

Kurapika shot him a quick smile before disappearing into the crowd. On his way to the bar, he decided that doing one or two shots was a better choice.

When he arrived, he decided that maybe three won’t hurt. And to top it all off, he downed a beer in a matter of seconds.

He was in the process of downing the second one, his other hand holding Leorio’s beer, when his vision started to shrink. He turned around, ready to head back, but he stopped and realized that he couldn’t remember what he was doing before this, and when he was doing it.

When Kurapika finally started walking, he felt like he had a hole in his head, and that every single memory was spilling out of it.

By the time he reached Leorio, his vision shrank entirely, and everything went black.

And when it did, it was too late to do anything about it.

_He was, without a doubt, blackout drunk_.


End file.
